Edge temperature compensation in thermal processing particularly useful for SOI wafers

a thermal processing and edge temperature compensation technology, applied in the field of thermal processing of semiconductor substrates and chambers, can solve the problems of crystallographic line defects, chips containing slip defects that are either inoperative or subject to early failure, and achieve the effect of less vertical structure and improving processing uniformity over tim
US20060228818A1Inactive Publication Date: 2006-10-12APPLIED MATERIALS INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
APPLIED MATERIALS INC
Publication Date
2006-10-12
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

A retuning process particularly useful with an Ar / H2 smoothing anneal by rapid thermal processing (RTP) of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer performed after cleavage. The smoothing anneal or other process is optimized including a radial temperature profile accounting for the edge ring and exclusion zone and the vertically structured SOI stack or other wafer gross structure. The optimized smoothing conditions are used to oxidize a bare silicon wafer and a reference thickness profile obtained from it is archived. After extended processing of complexly patterned production wafers, another bare wafer is oxidized and its monitor profile is compared to the reference profile, and the production process is adjusted accordingly. In another aspect, a jet of cooling gas is preferentially directed to the edge ring and peripheral portions of the supported SOI wafer to cool them relative to the inner wafer portions.
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Description

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims benefit of provisional application 60 / 669,162, filed Apr. 6, 2005.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to thermal processing of semiconductor substrates and chambers used therefor. In particular, the invention relates to rapid thermal processing of silicon-on-insulator wafers. BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Rapid thermal processing (RTP) is a well known process used in the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits when it is desired to quickly raise a wafer or other substrate to a relatively high temperature required for a thermally activated process and to thereafter quickly cool the wafer. RTP chambers typically include an array of high-intensity incandescent lamps, often tungsten halogen lamps, which together with reflector cavities around the lamps direct high-intensity infra-red, visible, and near-ultraviolet radiation toward the wafer. The lamps can be quickly turned on and off, and wafer temperatures in excess of...

Claims

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